Features

Sonlight encompasses all the ideals I ever hoped to achieve spiritually and scholastically for my children and provides the tools for me to accomplish those goals. After homeschooling without joy for a decade, I was at a dead end. I approached a Sonlight mom for advice and made the switch. Last year we enjoyed our best school year ever and now own six full Cores! Not only was our school journey transformed, but our lives also, as we began to function better as a family. Here, Gantry (8, Core D+E) shares his Science experiment with Hayden (3, P3/4 Multi-Subject) and Gatlin (6, Core B).

"We tried various curricula for my daughter, but when we finally discovered Sonlight, it clicked for her and for me," writes Sennu K of Vero Beach, FL. "We intend to use Sonlight all the way through with her. She has fallen in love with books, and we can't imagine a better fit for her than Sonlight. We have grown so close as a family. We love being able to learn together. Now we are saving books for our youngest daughter's school years."

Here, Mae (3) listens in while Abby (11) reads from HBL D+E. The K family has used Sonlight for three years of their eight homeschooling.

When we were in school, my husband and I did what we had to in order to make the grade, mostly without much enthusiasm for the subject matter," writes Kelly B of Savannah, GA. "Our children, by contrast, are enthusiastically on a path to a life-long love of learning."

"Why? Because Sonlight's historical fiction and biographies coincide beautifully with the spine books and supplemental readings. History becomes 'real' and personal to my kids, and they are deeply affected by it. The books' characters become friends–or enemies. The kids mourn when we finish the final page."

In this photo: Laurel (11) reviews the Landmark History of the American People with Isaac (5), while Aaron (9) enjoys Shades of Gray, one of the Read-Alouds "that made history relevant as we studied the Civil War and its aftermath." The B family has been Sonlighting for seven years.

WHAT ARE YOUR SONLIGHT STORIES?

Use #sonlightstories on social media to share your thoughts and photos. Or log
in to your account on sonlight.com to upload images and share testimonials.

Journey through all of American History!

Experience the dramatic story of American History, from before Columbus to modern times. This program offers a character and event-rich study that gives your children a broad overview of an influential and ever-changing nation. You'll learn about explorers, American Indians, the Founding Fathers, famous inventors, and ordinary people with extraordinary stories. As you read, you’ll gain a foundational understanding of a unique people, culture, and country.

Experience the story of our nation from before Columbus to the present day.

Enjoy fascinating books as you follow the lesson plan each day.

Embrace the innovative spirit that has characterized American history.

Meet early explorers, American Indians, founding heroes, famous inventors and ordinary citizens with extraordinary stories.

Purchase this literature-based American history package and you'll get free shipping (lower 48), a one-year guarantee and other perks.

Sonlight's complete Intro to American History program takes two full years. If you have the time to do all of Sonlight D and E, that's still our top recommendation. You'll enjoy many more favorite books, and you'll get a deeper, richer study of history.

But not everyone feels they can spend two years on American History. Some customers are new to Sonlight and want to move quickly to the older programs. Some customers from countries outside the U.S. prefer to study American History with Sonlight for a year, study their country's history for a year, and then return to Sonlight for the Eastern Hemisphere program. Some customers know they have only this last year to homeschool, but would like to finish a whole course of study.

If so, rather than do only the first half or the second half of American History, we recommend this one-year condensed program. Although, of course, we had to leave some things out, it's our best effort to slim down our two-year program to a single year.

Estimated daily time for Intro to American History, One-Year Condensed including your other subjects:

A fascinating introduction to American culture as it has shaped and been shaped by events from the Pilgrims to the mid-1800s. Written by the former Librarian of Congress. NEW full-color edition, completely revised for readability. Now includes timelines, maps and more than twice the illustrations. Oversized.

A highly readable account of the quintessentially American adventure of discovery and hardship as Meriwether Lewis and William Clark led their men on an exploration of "the interior parts of North America."

A groundbreaking guide to American history, this reference book explains events, moments, trends, patterns and people in concise articles designed to appeal to children ages 8 and up. Features more than 750 photos and artworks, plus extensive maps, charts, a state-by-state review, the complete texts of the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution, and much more.

A fascinating introduction to American culture as it has shaped and been shaped by events from the Civil War to the late 20th century. Written by the former Librarian of Congress. NEW full-color edition, completed revised for readability. Now includes timelines, maps and more than twice the illustrations. Oversized.

The thrilling story of America's first foreign missionary, Adoniram Judson. In the face of incredible obstacles, Adoniram and his first wife Ann were the spark that spread the fire of the Gospel into Burma. Their evident love for the Burmese people is a compelling story of unswerving dedication and sacrifice.

One of those "Wow!" books: a collection of delightful poems for young people arranged according to the birth dates of the authors -- beginning with anonymous native Americans and continuing to the present day.

Ralph is barely 8 years old when his family moves to Colorado for the sake of Dad's health, and the family tries to make a go of it on the ranch. Classic true story of ranching in Colorado in the early 1900's.

Eland. Middle child Sunday Fowler is too young for her sisters and too old for her brothers. How can she stand out in such a large family? Her opportunity comes when the family moves to a small town so her father can renovate the town library, and she discovers a mysterious manuscript in the basement. Charming.

Two thousand Georgia textile workers were shipped North against their will to work in Yankee mills. Twelve-year old Hannalee was one of them. This is the true story of how she fulfilled her promise to return home.

Recommended Items

Travel back in time over 300 years for an authentic glimpse of typical occupations practiced in colonial America from 1650 to 1800. Artist Peter Copeland makes it possible in this carefully researched and meticulously rendered coloring book. Forty lively scenes—five of them double-page—depict a variety of tradespeople and crafters: the watercart driver, who supplied townspeople with fresh water daily for a small fee; the town crier, a colonial version of today's TV newscaster; the tinker, a traveling repairman; and many more.

Early American craftsmen made a vital contribution to the development of this country, and they are still a very important part of our heritage. This book provides illustrations, rendered for coloring, of 22 crafts that were once widespread in America but are now rarely seen.

Customs, traditions, and activities of daily life in ancient Mexico—revealed in 41 authentically detailed drawings. This education coloring book features dramatic scenes of mysterious religious rites, warriors in battle, depictions of Mayan sculptors at work, astronomers taking sightings, an Aztec wedding, panoramic views of cities, and much more accompanied by descriptive captions. Learn about pre-Columbian cultures with the Life in Ancient Mexico coloring book. Be sure to check out the Life In Old Japan coloring book if you would like to learn about another civilization.

From Johannes Gutenberg's fifteenth-century printing press to Charles Hard Townes' relatively recent development of the laser, this fascinating coloring book encompasses five centuries of technology. Forty-five finely detailed drawings depict inventors and their historically important devices, comprising an inspiring survey of advances in science and industry.

This exciting collection of easy-to-color drawings takes you on a cross-country journey during which you’ll visit famous, man-made landmarks—from the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor to the Pearl Harbor Memorial in Hawaii.

Covers key skills of the D and E programs. Students are exposed to compound sentences, parts of speech, verb tenses and more. Research reports, free verse poetry and a host of other activities offer an outlet for ever-expanding writing skills.

Bring history to life with a hands-on lap book your children will love – a collection of crafts and creative projects that fold down into a kind of portfolio, and unfold to show their detailed magnificence.

The Instructor's Handbook contains an introduction to the philosophy behind Spelling You See and the five development stages of spelling. The Handbook also contains a "Getting Started" guide with an overview of the organization of the 36 lessons and information about the important skills and concepts that will be learned in this level as well as information about the three core activities. At the back of the Handbook there is more information about guided reading, chunking, copywork, dictation, answers to frequently asked questions, and a collection of helpful resources including passages for dictation.

The Student Pack includes two student workbooks and a pack of erasable colored pencils. Each of the 36 lessons is divided into five parts, A through E, and includes two facing pages. Each day the instructor reads the passage together with the student, as it is important for students to hear the words while looking at them. Students will also "chunk" the appropriate letter patterns indicated for that day's lesson and have opportunities for copywork and writing from dictation throughout the week.

Optional Language Arts Items

Optional. Wordly Wise 3000 Book 4 introduces students to 300 vocabulary words. Students learn the meaning and application of the words through literary pieces and fascinating historical tales. Each lesson includes a series of five exercises that require thinking yet are fun to do.

Features

Sonlight encompasses all the ideals I ever hoped to achieve spiritually and scholastically for my children and provides the tools for me to accomplish those goals. After homeschooling without joy for a decade, I was at a dead end. I approached a Sonlight mom for advice and made the switch. Last year we enjoyed our best school year ever and now own six full Cores! Not only was our school journey transformed, but our lives also, as we began to function better as a family. Here, Gantry (8, Core D+E) shares his Science experiment with Hayden (3, P3/4 Multi-Subject) and Gatlin (6, Core B).

"We tried various curricula for my daughter, but when we finally discovered Sonlight, it clicked for her and for me," writes Sennu K of Vero Beach, FL. "We intend to use Sonlight all the way through with her. She has fallen in love with books, and we can't imagine a better fit for her than Sonlight. We have grown so close as a family. We love being able to learn together. Now we are saving books for our youngest daughter's school years."

Here, Mae (3) listens in while Abby (11) reads from HBL D+E. The K family has used Sonlight for three years of their eight homeschooling.

When we were in school, my husband and I did what we had to in order to make the grade, mostly without much enthusiasm for the subject matter," writes Kelly B of Savannah, GA. "Our children, by contrast, are enthusiastically on a path to a life-long love of learning."

"Why? Because Sonlight's historical fiction and biographies coincide beautifully with the spine books and supplemental readings. History becomes 'real' and personal to my kids, and they are deeply affected by it. The books' characters become friends–or enemies. The kids mourn when we finish the final page."

In this photo: Laurel (11) reviews the Landmark History of the American People with Isaac (5), while Aaron (9) enjoys Shades of Gray, one of the Read-Alouds "that made history relevant as we studied the Civil War and its aftermath." The B family has been Sonlighting for seven years.

WHAT ARE YOUR SONLIGHT STORIES?

Use #sonlightstories on social media to share your thoughts and photos. Or log
in to your account on sonlight.com to upload images and share testimonials.